Entertainment

Will 'The Simpsons' Kill Off Krusty?

LOS ANGELES — Hey, hey, kids! Here's some Simpsons news that might bum you out — Krusty the Clown might be close to having his last laugh.

Key word: might.

The impending death of a Simpsons character is something fans have known about for months, but speculation hit an all-time high after executive producer Al Jean told reporters Sunday that the show's Sept. 29 season premiere, which will feature the death, was titled "Clown in the Dumps," bringing audible gasps from the crowd at a panel on Fox comedies during the Television Critics Association press tour. "I didn’t say I was killing Krusty," Jean clarified later. "I didn't say I wasn't."

Jean's only further clue about who would get the ax was that the actor who voices the doomed character has previously won an Emmy Award for their work, a hint that narrows the field considerably. Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Kelsey Grammer (Sideshow Bob), Hank Azaria (Apu, Moe, etc.), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Julie Kavner (Marge), Marcia Wallace (Edna), and Yeardley Smith (Lisa) are among the actors who have all won Emmys. Most notably? Jackie Mason, who voiced Krusty's father Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, has also won an Emmy.

Jean first dropped the nugget of info last year when he revealed in passing that a character would bite the dust, setting off a fan frenzy. The longtime Simpsons writer said he never anticipated his thought-to-be-minor tease would spark so much interest. "Suddenly it became this huge guessing game," he said.

If anything, though, the buzz says volumes about the show's still-impressive following going into Season 26. Speaking of which, despite a heartbreaking Emmy snub, Jean remains confident about its future. "We've been so lucky to have such a great run. I think it's going to go on for a while," he said.

Coming up this season: A cross-over episode with Futurama, guest appearances from Jane Fonda and William DaFoe (who plays Bart’s new teacher) and Sarah Silverman. Also, the debut of the much-touted episode penned by Judd Apatow, which the director originally wrote and submitted to the show prior to hitting it big. That will air in January, said Jean. The writers are also in the middle of penning the script for the Simpsons live show, taking place in September at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. "[It] is like doing half a movie," he said.

As for another feature-length film? That's not something in the plan at the moment, he said. "I wouldn’t want to do another movie unless it was a movie we really believed in," said Jean. "We’d never do it just to say, 'Oh, here’s the second movie.' I’d much rather no movie than a crummy movie."

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